I was on vacation and read some archives things that I am
commenting on. I was the original harmonica player for the
Broadway show The Civil War. The whole experience lasted about a
year although we were only on Broadway for previews (about two
months) and then about 2 months after the official opening and then
we lost the Tony to Fosse and closed a week later along with 11
other shows. Pre Broadway we did 2 other cities, Houston and New
Haven.
First off I have no idea how they found me. I was living in
Austin, Texas and was not a member of the Union. Texas is a right-
to-work state. One day I received a phone call asking me to
audition for the Houston show. I was told there was no possibility
of getting the Broadway gig. I audtioned, lied about my ability to
read music and got the gig. I quit my part time day job, kissed
two bands and my students and my apartment goodbye and moved to
Houstoin for a 3 month gig. I went with the intention of getting
the Broadway gig and did not want to have any ties at home.
I took two reading lessons and practiced 8 hours a day for 3
weeks. I was the worst reader of the orchestra by far, but I made it.
In Houston, we practiced for 3 weeks. This is an unusually long
time for Broadway. I think this was because the writers were still
writing the show. Most of the singers (a great ensemble cast where
any one of them could have starred) went on to Broadway. Only 4
musicians did and the other three were New York and LA cats flown
out to Houston.
There were no subs in Houston. I was expected to make every show
no matter what.
About half way thru they told me they wanted me for Broadway.
Rumor has it Rob Paparozzi was offered the gig and turned it down
and so I got the call. Thanks Rob! I believe I lived in around 11
different spaces in that year's time moving from city to city and
living on couches while I found an apartment in New York.
In New York we prepared one week for the New Haven show and then
moved to New Haven. The musicians were almost all different, like
I say. So was the music. Whatever I had learned in Houston was
out of the window. Until a show "opens" the writers can change
the show as often as they please. As a musician, I was allowed to
show up one minute before the show started. There was no policy
forcing me to show up early. Quite often I would arrive to find
new songs or parts written out on my music stand.
In New Haven, the orchestra pit was small. The horns and myself
were placed in a separate room we nicknamed the Blow Room (because
we all blew to make our instruments work you sex and drug minded
people!) We baffled my amplifier and I had a vocal mic. We watched
the conductor on a television screen. We listened with small
monitors.
In New York, there were plastic walls between most of the
musicians. We each had our own monitor and although we were in the
pit together I still watched the conductor on a small tv set. My
mic was sent to my amp in another room. I also played thru a vocal
mic.
Although one contractor is in charge of booking almost all
Broadway shows, the musicians were in charge of finding their own
subs. Although paid vacation days were limited, a musician could
sub out close to 100% of the shows if he wants to. Also, unless he
screws up big time, a musician has the right to his chair for the
run of the show. Pretty much the only way to screw up was to
arrive late. They understood that you people make mistakes trying
to play what is written.
Finding a sub was excruciatingly difficult. I knew no one in
Manhattan. If I called anyone to tryout they either blew me off or
assumed they had the gig without any audtion and some people acted
quite hurt when I did not choose them. I played both acoustically
and electrically, with chromatic in multiple keys and diatonic in 3
positions and both read music and improvised. Finding a harp
player to handle it was tough. The potential sub would sit next to
me during a show and see what I did. I got to interview both Don
Brooks and Rob Paparozzi and got to know them. Don did not want
the gig, Rob seemed willing but busy. I wound up writing all the
improvised parts and giving the sub part to a very nice guy (sorry
if you are lurking, but I forget your name.) and we spent many
hours training him for the one day I subbed out, my girlfriend's
birthday. It was worth it.
To give you some idea of the musicianship caliber, the musicians
in the orchestra were in other bands you might have heard of...
Steely Dan, Barbara Streisand, Prince, THe Woody Hermann (I suppose
memorial) orchestra, Donna Summer, Gregory Hines, Arlo Guthrie, The
Blues Brothers, etc. AT the end of the night I had to take a solo
right after the Steey Dan guitarist. He would show me up night
after night. My only strategy was if he played slow, I played fast
and vice versa.
For a year I made around $1500 a week. When it was over, I was
depressed for a little while, mmoved back to Austin and got happy
again. I also fought the union and won proving that I should get
paid a double for playing both chrome and diatonic.
If the show had continued I would have had more stories.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com
_______________________________________________
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l